In northern India's rice fields, a simple biological solution is quietly reshaping how farmers grow one of the world's most essential crops. Field trials led by researchers at the University of Cambridge in partnership with the rice brand Tilda have demonstrated that naturally occurring soil fungi can boost basmati rice yields by 5 to 15 percent—while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers that carry both environmental and economic costs.
The key to this breakthrough lies in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial organisms that live inside plant roots and act as extensions of the plant's own root system, reaching deeper into the soil to collect nutrients. In real farming conditions across northern India, when these fungi-based bio-fertilizers were applied alongside conventional synthetic fertilizers, every farmer in the trial saw measurable yield increases compared to fields treated with synthetic fertilizers alone. Dr. Emily Servante, lead scientist at Cambridge's Crop Science Center, described the results as "extremely encouraging," noting that the research has confirmed the fungi naturally associate with basmati rice and enhance both root development and crop vigor.
What makes this discovery particularly timely is the context of modern agriculture's fragility. Synthetic fertilizers are essential to feeding the world, but their production is energy-intensive and heavily dependent on natural gas. Recent global disruptions—from geopolitical tensions to energy price volatility—have exposed vulnerabilities in fertilizer supply chains, leaving farmers facing price spikes and reduced availability. By offering a pathway to reduced synthetic fertilizer dependence, this research addresses not just environmental concerns but also food security and economic resilience for farming communities.
The trials were conducted on farms using a water-saving technique called Alternate Wetting and Drying, developed by the International Rice Research Institute. Rather than keeping paddy fields continuously flooded as tradition dictates, farmers allow the soil to dry intermittently before re-flooding, using a simple tube inserted into the soil to determine when re-flooding is needed. This approach is crucial because arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi thrive in the drier, more aerated soils that are becoming essential to sustainable rice production. The technique itself delivers substantial environmental gains: Tilda's research shows it reduces methane emissions from waterlogged paddies by about 45 percent and cuts energy-related emissions by roughly 25 percent.
The scale of this opportunity is significant. Tilda's network includes more than 4,000 farmers, and the company is now scaling up trials to assess the effects of reducing synthetic fertilizer use on yields. The context makes this urgent: growing rice with synthetic fertilizers produces nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that accounts for 12 percent of all agricultural emissions. Beyond climate benefits, reduced fertilizer use will improve soil health by enabling greater microbial diversity—the living foundation of productive farmland.
"I'm excited that the farmers are on board, that everyone's excited to work together to figure out how to roll this technology out in the best way," Servante said, capturing the momentum building around this collaboration. As Tilda, the first U.K. rice company to earn B Corp certification, expands its sustainability program across 3,840 farms, this fungi-based solution represents more than a technical fix—it's a demonstration that solving agriculture's biggest challenges requires partnership between scientists, industry, and the farmers themselves.